Fix NoSQL Injection in Astro
NoSQL Injection in Astro occurs when unsanitized user input from SSR API routes or server-side scripts is passed directly into database query filters (e.g., MongoDB, CouchDB). Attackers exploit this by injecting query operators like '$gt', '$ne', or '$where' to bypass authentication or leak records. In Astro's SSR mode, your API endpoints are the primary attack surface.
The Vulnerable Pattern
// src/pages/api/login.ts
export const POST: APIRoute = async ({ request }) => {
const { username, password } = await request.json();
// VULNERABLE: Attacker can send {"username": {"$ne": null}, "password": {"$ne": null}}
// This bypasses authentication by returning the first user in the collection.
const user = await db.collection('users').findOne({ username, password });
return new Response(JSON.stringify({ success: !!user }));
};The Secure Implementation
The vulnerability lies in the NoSQL driver's ability to interpret objects as commands. If an attacker provides an object instead of a string, they can manipulate the query logic. The primary defense in the Astro ecosystem is utilizing Zod for strict schema validation. By forcing inputs to be primitives (strings/numbers), any injected object containing operators like '$gt' will cause a validation error before the query is even constructed. Alternatively, use a sanitization library like 'mongo-sanitize' to strip keys starting with '$' from user-controlled objects.
// src/pages/api/login.ts import { z } from 'astro:content';const LoginSchema = z.object({ username: z.string(), password: z.string() });
export const POST: APIRoute = async ({ request }) => { const body = await request.json(); const result = LoginSchema.safeParse(body);
if (!result.success) { return new Response(JSON.stringify({ error: ‘Invalid input’ }), { status: 400 }); }
const { username, password } = result.data; // SECURE: Zod enforces that username/password are strings, neutralizing operator injection. const user = await db.collection(‘users’).findOne({ username, password }); return new Response(JSON.stringify({ success: !!user })); };
Your Astro API
might be exposed to NoSQL Injection
74% of Astro apps fail this check. Hackers use automated scanners to find this specific flaw. Check your codebase before they do.
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